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What’s the best and simplest security system


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We have never felt the need for security in any of our houses but due to a different social climate now and the fact we are getting older I would really like to have some now. It would need to be something pretty simple to operate as neither of us are very tech minded, I was thinking about RING but hubby looked at it last night and was put off by the fact it appears you have to pay a monthly subscription if you want images stored, any ideas?

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I know what you mean. The problem is.... Alarm. Nobody takes any notice. CCtv. Only really any use after the event, although might act as to put some people off. What about a large ex-military personal protection dog, or one from a company like K9. Please don't get a dog just because of the current situation. Be prepared for 10 years of ownership.

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I have not installed any alarm in my new build, there is a dummy box on my workshop with a flashy light. All windows and doors are very well locked with the latest protection. (I got a certificate to show it’s class of protection).

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25 minutes ago, Big Jimbo said:

I know what you mean. The problem is.... Alarm. Nobody takes any notice. CCtv. Only really any use after the event, although might act as to put some people off. What about a large ex-military personal protection dog, or one from a company like K9. Please don't get a dog just because of the current situation. Be prepared for 10 years of ownership.

We actually have 4 dogs! BUT I don’t think they’d scare anyone away, they’d bark certainly but I think they’d welcome anyone who came in!

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11 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said:

In the present situation that concerns you, the best and simplest security system is a local community you can depend on.

We don’t have close neighbours, the woman who bought the cottage from us doesn’t live there, it’s lying empty. The next nearest neighbour is a woman in her 80s who has had a lot of illness Recently.

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53 minutes ago, Christine Walker said:

We have never felt the need for security in any of our houses but due to a different social climate now and the fact we are getting older I would really like to have some now. It would need to be something pretty simple to operate as neither of us are very tech minded, I was thinking about RING but hubby looked at it last night and was put off by the fact it appears you have to pay a monthly subscription if you want images stored, any ideas?

The issue with alarms and CCTV is that if you don't have some neighbours likely to run out and have a look or at least peek out the window then an alarm isn't that great - I don't think the police come out to home alarm calls anymore. So you are better investing in means to make your property difficult to gain access to, fencing, locked gates just make it difficult, make it less appealing. 

 

Think about the process of a break in - someone passing who wants some cash and an iPad or someone who comes in a van wants to take a lot of stuff. 

 

So the opportunistic thief will be put off by decent secure windows and doors, the latter you need to make it as difficult and visible as possible for someone to park near your property and get stuff out. So if you were on holiday or at night could you close and lock a gate at the entrance to your drive or something. Potentially have some sensors that if someone approached your property a light comes on in a room upstairs. 

 

Ask a local farmer for a handful of fired shotgun shells and chuck them around the place outside, evidence of a 12bore would worry most!

 

 

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9 minutes ago, Christine Walker said:

This was actually what my hubby suggested!

Do you have a bit of land, acre or two?

 

My great grandmother had a Baby Browning with Pearl grips on her farm not far from where you are. I still have farming family within a stones-throw from you. 

 

 

Edited by Carrerahill
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I think what’s really making me uneasy is the fact that two houses within a mile of us (but in an estate) have been broken into during the night, both residents were woken by a noise and one was confronted by a man with an axe, both houses had their door handles and locks removed from outside and this is how they’d gained entry!

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This question pops up regularly.

In our family, there's a local detective and his partner a CSI. We got broken into recently, and I can tell you, it wasn't pleasant. But.

It lead to some creative thinking.

  • An alarm: no details, but a good one
  • A camera that's visible, and one that's hidden, but does record faces and number plates if its switched on ( ?) and is protected from the rain
  • Another fairly cheap time lapse camera hidden on site which I move regularly
  • Multiple cheap solar powered LED lights (12) that stay on for a while when there's movement
  • Ladders locked and a plank strapped on them to prevent casual climbing
  • Flood lights switched on INSIDE the house in such a way that any movement will cast obvious and very large shadows  towards where we live
  • Regular contact with the neighbour who has CCTV
  • Muliple locks on the containers
  • HERAS positioned such that its incredibly incovenient and noisy to open the containers
  • A formal walk round the site once per week (Monday first job, and Friday first job if Monday wasn't possible)  to see if some small improvement to both safety and security can be made
  • Two or three marginally unpleasant surprises placed on the site which are both very noisy and in one case extremely smelly.
  • Proper insurance, with named expensive items of equipment on site 
  • A photograph of each of my tools: each security marked and listed on a Google Photgraphs site. Every single invoice for tools stored online

Each one of these  on it's own isn't enough. But slowly, site safety and security are improving. Its a bit like competitive sport - one training  improvement won't make much difference, but persistent focus on improvement will - over time - make a significant difference.

Which reminds me ....

 

 

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Many years ago I built a “poachers trap” which consisted of a trip wire and a shotgun cartridge (empty of shot) as were were aware of people entering our small holding during the night, unfortunately the only person I caught was my wife who forgot about the trip wire when feeding her horses first thing in the morning?her ears were ringing fir days?.

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28 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Many years ago I built a “poachers trap” which consisted of a trip wire and a shotgun cartridge (empty of shot) as were were aware of people entering our small holding during the night, unfortunately the only person I caught was my wife who forgot about the trip wire when feeding her horses first thing in the morning?her ears were ringing fir days?.

 

 

You can buy trip wire operated alarm mines fairly cheaply.  They use 12G saluting blanks, that can usually be purchased from gun shops without a shotgun certificate.   Not sure if you can buy saluting blanks online, I suspect not, as you probably have to be over 18 and maybe produce ID to buy them.

 

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1 hour ago, Jeremy Harris said:

 

 

You can buy trip wire operated alarm mines fairly cheaply.  They use 12G saluting blanks, that can usually be purchased from gun shops without a shotgun certificate.   Not sure if you can buy saluting blanks online, I suspect not, as you probably have to be over 18 and maybe produce ID to buy them.

 

@Christine Walker if you decide to go along this sort of route PM me. 

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8 hours ago, Christine Walker said:

We have never felt the need for security in any of our houses but due to a different social climate now and the fact we are getting older I would really like to have some now. It would need to be something pretty simple to operate as neither of us are very tech minded, I was thinking about RING but hubby looked at it last night and was put off by the fact it appears you have to pay a monthly subscription if you want images stored, any ideas?

 

I believe the RIng can be used without a subscription but you don't get recording. You only get live video. At least that's what I've heard.

 

There are alternatives..

https://eternallyconfuzzled.com/video-doorbell-without-subscription

 

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If you decide to install a fake alarm I suggest you don't buy a fake bell box as pretty sure crooks recognise the fakes. I'd buy a real bell box and just not bother to connect it up.

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Ring also passes all the data it collects back to Amazon (surprise, surprise) so they can add it to their database on you and so target you with stuff.  In essence, they are asking you to pay for something that gives them more information about you.

 

As an example of the data that Ring devices collect and send back to Amazon, have a read of this BBC article where they got hold of all the data that Amazon had acquired from a Ring user: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51709247

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21 minutes ago, Mike said:

Ring seems to have an unintended downside too: Police hunt down masked man who is stealing expensive video doorbells

 

 

Seems daft to steal something that's sending data back to Amazon and which can probably be traced back to the IP of the connection.  How exactly did this thief think he was going to use or sell the thing, when it's registered to the original owner and sending data back to them whenever it's activated?

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8 hours ago, AnonymousBosch said:
  • An alarm: no details, but a good one
  • A camera that's visible, and one that's hidden, but does record faces and number plates if its switched on ( ?) and is protected from the rain
  • Another fairly cheap time lapse camera hidden on site which I move regularly
  • Multiple cheap solar powered LED lights (12) that stay on for a while when there's movement
  • Ladders locked and a plank strapped on them to prevent casual climbing
  • Flood lights switched on INSIDE the house in such a way that any movement will cast obvious and very large shadows  towards where we live
  • Regular contact with the neighbour who has CCTV
  • Muliple locks on the containers
  • HERAS positioned such that its incredibly incovenient and noisy to open the containers
  • A formal walk round the site once per week (Monday first job, and Friday first job if Monday wasn't possible)  to see if some small improvement to both safety and security can be made
  • Two or three marginally unpleasant surprises placed on the site which are both very noisy and in one case extremely smelly.
  • Proper insurance, with named expensive items of equipment on site 
  • A photograph of each of my tools: each security marked and listed on a Google Photgraphs site. Every single invoice for tools stored online

That lot probably costs more than the value of what is stolen.

My house in Weymouth got broken into, the value of the damage to the property was 30 times greater than the value of what was stolen.

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